Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1978 Jul;21(1):229–237. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.1.229-237.1978

Escherichia coli pili as possible mediators of attachment to human urinary tract epithelial cells.

C S Edén, H A Hansson
PMCID: PMC421981  PMID: 361565

Abstract

Presence of pili of fimbriae on Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from the urine of patients with urinary tract infection was related to the ability of the bacteria to attach to human uroepithelial cells. Piliated E. coli strains agglutinated guinea pig erythrocytes. D-Mannose and alpha-methyl-D-mannopyranoside inhibited this agglutination with all but one of the 12 strains tested. D-Mannose, D-galactose, alpha-methyl-D-mannopyranoside, and L-fucose did not afect attachment of piliated strains to uroepithelial cells. Heating as well as washing of piliated strains caused a parallel decrease of piliation and adhesive ability. Growth in glucose-enriched medium increased capsule formation but decreased piliation and adhesion. Capsulated strains retained their adhesive ability provided that pili extended outside the capsule.

Full text

PDF
229

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Brinton C. C., Jr The structure, function, synthesis and genetic control of bacterial pili and a molecular model for DNA and RNA transport in gram negative bacteria. Trans N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Jun;27(8):1003–1054. doi: 10.1111/j.2164-0947.1965.tb02342.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Buchanan T. M., Pearce W. A. Pili as a mediator of the attachment of gonococci to human erythrocytes. Infect Immun. 1976 May;13(5):1483–1489. doi: 10.1128/iai.13.5.1483-1489.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DUGUID J. P., SMITH I. W., DEMPSTER G., EDMUNDS P. N. Non-flagellar filamentous appendages (fimbriae) and haemagglutinating activity in Bacterium coli. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1955 Oct;70(2):335–348. doi: 10.1002/path.1700700210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Duguid J. P., Anderson E. S., Campbell I. Fimbriae and adhesive properties in Salmonellae. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1966 Jul;92(1):107–138. doi: 10.1002/path.1700920113. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Duguid J. P., Anderson E. S. Terminology of bacterial fimbriae, or pili, and their types. Nature. 1967 Jul 1;215(5096):89–90. doi: 10.1038/215089a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Duguid J. P., Darekar M. R., Wheater D. W. Fimbriae and infectivity in Salmonella typhimurium. J Med Microbiol. 1976 Nov;9(4):459–473. doi: 10.1099/00222615-9-4-459. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Eden C. S., Eriksson B., Hanson L. A. Adhesion of Escherichia coli to human uroepithelial cells in vitro. Infect Immun. 1977 Dec;18(3):767–774. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.3.767-774.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Edén C. S., Hanson L. A., Jodal U., Lindberg U., Akerlund A. S. Variable adherence to normal human urinary-tract epithelial cells of Escherichia coli strains associated with various forms of urinary-tract infection. Lancet. 1976 Sep 4;1(7984):490–492. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Freter R., Jones G. W. Adhesive properties of Vibrio cholerae: nature of the interaction with intact mucosal surfaces. Infect Immun. 1976 Jul;14(1):246–256. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.1.246-256.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hanson L. A., Ahlstedt S., Fasth A., Jodal U., Kaijser B., Larsson P., Lindberg U., Olling S., Sohl-Akerlund A., Svanborg-Edén C. Antigens of Escherichia coli, human immune response, and the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections. J Infect Dis. 1977 Aug;136 (Suppl):S144–S149. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.supplement.s144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Isaacson R. E. K99 surface antigen of Escherichia coli: purification and partial characterization. Infect Immun. 1977 Jan;15(1):272–279. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.1.272-279.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jones G. W., Freter R. Adhesive properties of Vibrio cholerae: nature of the interaction with isolated rabbit brush border membranes and human erythrocytes. Infect Immun. 1976 Jul;14(1):240–245. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.1.240-245.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Jones G. W., Rutter J. M. Role of the K88 antigen in the pathogenesis of neonatal diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli in piglets. Infect Immun. 1972 Dec;6(6):918–927. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.6.918-927.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. KELLOGG D. S., Jr, PEACOCK W. L., Jr, DEACON W. E., BROWN L., PIRKLE D. I. NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE. I. VIRULENCE GENETICALLY LINKED TO CLONAL VARIATION. J Bacteriol. 1963 Jun;85:1274–1279. doi: 10.1128/jb.85.6.1274-1279.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kaijser B., Hanson L. A., Jodal U., Lidin-Janson G., Robbins J. B. Frequency of E. coli K antigens in urinary-tract infections in children. Lancet. 1977 Mar 26;1(8013):663–666. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)92111-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lincoln K., Lidin-Janson G., Winberg J. Resistant urinary infections resulting from changes in resistance pattern of faecal flora induced by sulphonamide and hospital environment. Br Med J. 1970 Aug 8;3(5718):305–309. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5718.305. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McGee Z. A., Dourmashkin R. R., Gross J. G., Clark J. B., Taylor-Robinson D. Relationship of pili to colonial morphology among pathogenic and nonpathogenic species of Neisseria. Infect Immun. 1977 Feb;15(2):594–600. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.2.594-600.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nagy B., Moon H. W., Isaacson R. E. Colonization of porcine intestine by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: selection of piliated forms in vivo, adhesion of piliated forms to epithelial cells in vitro, and incidence of a pilus antigen among porcine enteropathogenic E. coli. Infect Immun. 1977 Apr;16(1):344–352. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.1.344-352.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ofek I., Mirelman D., Sharon N. Adherence of Escherichia coli to human mucosal cells mediated by mannose receptors. Nature. 1977 Feb 17;265(5595):623–625. doi: 10.1038/265623a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rivier D. A., Darekar M. R. Inhibitors of the adhesiveness of enteropathogenic E. coli. Experientia. 1975 Jun 15;31(6):662–664. doi: 10.1007/BF01944616. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Salit I. E., Gotschlich E. C. Hemagglutination by purified type I Escherichia coli pili. J Exp Med. 1977 Nov 1;146(5):1169–1181. doi: 10.1084/jem.146.5.1169. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Salit I. E., Gotschlich E. C. Type I Escherichia coli pili: characterization of binding to monkey kidney cells. J Exp Med. 1977 Nov 1;146(5):1182–1194. doi: 10.1084/jem.146.5.1182. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Scherberich J. E., Schäfer K., Mondorf W., Gauhl C., Sietzen W. Escherichia coli receptors on human kidney brush-border membranes. Lancet. 1977 Dec 3;2(8049):1181–1181. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91574-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Silverblatt F. J. Host-parasite interaction in the rat renal pelvis: a possible role for pili in the pathogenesis of pyelonephritis. J Exp Med. 1974 Dec 1;140(6):1696–1711. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.6.1696. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Stirm S., Orskov F., Orskov I., Birch-Andersen A. Episome-carried surface antigen K88 of Escherichia coli. 3. Morphology. J Bacteriol. 1967 Feb;93(2):740–748. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.2.740-748.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES